Hal Schmitt in Morro Bay

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Hal's Workshops:

Flash Photo Work Flow

Fine Art Printing

HDR Shooting and Processing

LIGHT-Painting

Hal Schmitt Bio

“It’s not that I get everything that I expect in taking a Hal Schmitt class, it’s that I get so much that I didn’t expect that makes Hal’s classes so exciting!” --Dwight McCann, LIGHT Photographic Workshops' Client

Hal Schmitt is the Lead Instructor and Director of LIGHT Photographic Workshops (formerly, the Lepp Institute). Although new to the industry, Hal instructs all levels of photography, Lightroom, and Photoshop as if he had been shooting for decades. His workshops and photo tours are recognized around the world as incredible learning experiences. As one recent student commented “Hal and Victoria bring a lot of top flight instructors through their Workshop, but I don’t think any of those I’ve attended or read do quite the job that Hal does. He’s not as cute as Tim Gray. He’s not as verbose and chatty as Scott Kelby. He’s only been into photography for a short time. But he understands teaching and students so thoroughly that he is seamless and getting better...”

Hal started his photography and digital imaging experience two short years ago when he, along with wife Victoria, purchased LIGHT Photographic Workshops (formerly the Lepp Institute of Digital Imaging) from Canon Explorer of Light George Lepp. With no formal training, owning no cameras, and heard to remark “Photoshop? What’s that?” Hal hit the ground running and has not looked back. At the Institute he trained night and day with industry leading photographers, Photoshop Gurus, and Print masters until his skills were honed and ready. He began to instruct his own courses at the Institute in the fall of 2007 and has since taught over 1000 people and led more than twenty five major courses and photo tours. Although he teaches at all levels, everything is about the basics, “If your fundamentals are strong, you have a firm foundation upon which to rapidly build your skills.”

Before picking up his first DSLR, Hal spent fourteen years as a decorated, combat veteran flying FA-18 Hornets and Super Hornets in the U.S. Navy. He was fortunate to fly over 2,000 hours and accumulate over 550 carrier arrested landings. As a two-time TOPGUN Instructor, Hal taught advanced strike fighter tactics at the Navy Fighter Weapons School for over five years. He often relates many of his current subjects to things he learned and taught at TOPGUN. Of course, most things now are “a bit slower and a lot less dangerous.”

Hal is an expert in all aspects of the digital work flow from capture to final output. With a straightforward teaching style, Hal uses many real world, day to day examples to ensure his students master even the most complicated subjects. With practical instruction Hal follows a “lather, rinse, repeat” concept. That is students will always see a procedure demonstrated first, then work it step by step with Hal, and finally do it on their own. His style and flow have allowed countless students to advance from total beginner to advanced user in only a few days.

Hal shoots Canon equipment and can be found chasing eagles around the world or spending way too much time in the studio.

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